Boulder, a deep, ringing thock
Updated
Linear in a heavy aluminium case: a deep, ringing thock.
Press any key, or tap the keys below, to hear Boulder. These are the same samples the app plays.
- Category
- Mechanical
- Brightness (centroid)
- 2,428 Hz
- Key press length
- 90 ms
What it imitates
Boulder models a linear switch in a heavy aluminium case. A heavy case rings after each key lands, and that ring is the thock hobbyists chase. Boulder rings longer than any other keyboard pack in Teclo.
Teclo’s sounds are synthesized, not recorded. Its sound engine builds each pack from a model of the parts that make the sound, then plays the same files in the app that you hear on this page.
How it measures
Every pack is measured when it is rendered. The table puts Boulder next to Butter and Pebble, the packs closest to it in feel.
| Pack | Category | Brightness (Hz) | Press (ms) | 90% of energy in (ms) | Low/high (dB) | 1–3 kHz share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder | Mechanical | 2,428 | 90 | 18.1 | -11.5 | 70% |
| Butter | Mechanical | 2,479 | 80 | 13.1 | -17.3 | 67% |
| Pebble | Mechanical | 2,370 | 88 | 13.2 | -7.8 | 47% |
Brightness is the energy-weighted mean frequency of a key press, so a higher number sounds brighter. Low/high is the energy below 1 kHz against the energy above it: the higher, the deeper. Nobody has tuned these packs by ear yet; the figures are what the files measure.
Who it suits
People looking for a thocky sound: “Can it go thock?” was the top comment when Klack launched on r/apple, and deeper sounds come up again and again in keyboard-sound threads.
Use it in Teclo
- Click the keycap icon in the menu bar to open Teclo’s window.
- Pick Boulder in the list of packs, under Mechanical.
- Type anywhere. Teclo plays a different sound for a key going down and coming up, and separate sounds for Space, Return and Delete.
Every pack also has its own pair of mouse click sounds, made from the same model. Try the other packs on the sound packs page.
Questions
Does Teclo have a thocky keyboard sound?
Yes. Boulder is the deep, ringing one: it takes 18.1 ms to deliver 90% of its energy, the longest of the keyboard packs. Cushion and Pebble are softer, rounder alternatives.
Sources
Other facts on this page come from these pages, read on or before the date above.